To be honest, networking can be awkward. However, if you want to expand your business circle and increase potential opportunities, you’re going to have to do it.
Picture this. You’re dressed to a Business to Investors event and have your business cards at the ready. You’ve got the perfect speech prepared and are ready to make your presence known. People are laughing about the silliest jokes, and the air is thick with potential. You are ready.
What you may not have considered, however, is who might be in the room with you. Knowing how to identify and navigate all the different personality types there could go a long way—maybe even add a little bit of fun to the sometimes boring, usually dreaded, networking experience.
If you can identify the types of the people at the event, you can better understand what clicks in their heads and communicate on their level.
Sharks: They are marketers who have targeted you and have their minds set at securing your business at any expense. To deal with these people, be direct with them. If you will never buy their products or services, let ‘Sharks’ know immediately as they appreciate honesty.
Garden Snakes: They work for you competitors in the industry,yet they are overly friendly with you. No need to get rude or nasty with these type of people. Be careful when having conversations with them so as not to release confidential information.
Roosters: Identifying roosters is quite easy. They keep their eyes on everyone at the event by shaking their hands or passing their cards to them. They do not have interest in the content of the event but are just looking for good connections. Networking with roosters is not bad as they can end up connecting the rest of us with each other.
Social Butterflies: Unlike roosters, social butterflies know everyone at an event. They are usually just interesting people who make friends easily both in in the industry and in their lives. Connecting with them is important as they might just be the key to meeting your biggest investor.
Worker Bees: You might just end up wasting your time engaging with a worker bee as they find no joy or excitement in marketing industry. Most times, they are at an event just doing their jobs without much interest but simply put up with the rest of us who are actually interested in what is going on.